Nearly half of the millennial and Gen Z workforce values organisations with missions promoting sustainable positive change. Here are 6 companies doing awesome things for the environment and sustainability, and how you might get involved in their apprenticeship schemes.
Sainsbury’s
The supermarket sector probably isn’t one of the first to spring to mind if you’re keen to start a career in sustainability. However, Sainsbury’s boasts zero waste to landfill since 2013. It launched a Zero Waste Kitchen Challenge Handbook full of top tips on how to reduce food waste in your kitchen at home (available online as a PDF). The company was endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council as the ‘Most Sustainable Seafood Supermarket’ in 2017 and aspires to have 100% of its fish and seafood independently certified as sustainable by 2020.
In 2016, Sainsbury’s launched an apprenticeship scheme specialising in coding and software development, with no previous experience required. Keep an eye out for new job openings via this link
Bulb
Bulb is the UK’s biggest green energy supplier, providing 100% renewable energy to its customers’ homes. The energy sources include solar, wind, hydro, and 100% Carbon neutral natural gas. The average Bulb home prevents 3.5 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – the equivalent of planting 1,770 trees!
Browse the WhiteHat website to see if positions are available.
Unilever
With Headquarters in both London and Rotterdam, Unilever has built an international consumer base. Its Sustainable Living Plan seeks to “develop new ways of doing business which increase the positive social benefits arising from Unilever’s activities while simultaneously reducing our environmental impact. The goal is to be sustainable in every sense of the word.” Its operations aim to be entirely transparent, with a Responsible Sourcing Policy enforced and internal audits performed regularly.
Applications are now open for Apprenticeships beginning in September 2019:
BT
BT have focussed a lot of attention on making their chain sustainable and have an ambitious goal of cutting supply chain emissions by 29 per cent by 2030. As a result, they often appear in lists of the world’s most sustainable companies.
In 2018 they launched MISSION POSSIBLE where they committed to a suite of five measures to help them achieve a sustainable future – read about it here.
And here’s a link to their graduates and apprenticeships space where they post all of their opportunities.
Lush Cosmetics
Lush’s reputation precedes itself when it comes to zero-waste and sustainable packaging. Its shampoo and conditioner bars drastically reduce the amount of waste associated with your daily shower routine. Their products are also largely vegan and cruelty-free. Finally, Lush launched an internal Carbon Tax policy; £50 per metric tonne of Carbon emitted by company air travel goes to grassroots climate change charities and activist groups as grants.
Lush’s apprenticeships are limited to internal recruitment at the moment, but keep an eye on their page under the Apprenticeships filter.
M&S
Another big supermarket, M&S, has recently made leaps and bounds in its sustainability policy. Its ‘Plan A 2025’ – so named because there is no ‘Plan B’ – sustainability policy consists of 3 pillars: wellbeing, community, and planet. Each contains goals for 2022 and 2025. By 2050 M&S aspires to reduce its emissions by 80% and eventually become entirely zero-waste.
Available apprenticeships will go live here
Lifting the lid on Apprenticeships
Finding the right career path is tough. But one thing that makes it easier is knowing what all the different paths have to offer. And we think that not enough people are confident about what modern apprenticeships have to offer. Especially when you have companies like Google, Facebook and Universal all heavily investing in apprenticeship opportunities.
Apprentice Nation invites you to take a fresh look at Apprenticeships. Check out the Go Far section of our website and discover some helpful links to resources and companies that are there to support your apprenticeships journey.
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